Prince Gong's Residence

In the hutong at the back of nearby Lake Houhai is Prince Gong's Residence. This is said to be the best surviving grand estate of wealthy Chinese in the Qing dynasty. It was a rare "blue sky" break in the ever-present haze/smog this afternoon, so I decided to take the opportunity and go search for it. I first found a different estate, that was closed today as it is a location for the massive university entrance exam happening over the next three days. This exam filters out the one quarter of the high school students who will be able to attend university next year. As you can imagine this is a very competitive and high stress exam, and I was quickly shooed away!

Prince Gong's residence was nearby. It turns out to be a very popular attraction for Chinese tour groups, maybe because it is the reputed inspiration for one of the most famous Chinese novels Dreams of a Red Mansion. I am presently wading through this. The translation is in 4 volumes, and so far, half way through volume 2, not much has happened, although it does give me some insight into this part of Chinese history and culture. Price Gong's residence is certainly a large estate, with lotus and fish ponds, pavilions, artificial rock hills etc. It is pretty enough, and probably nice when it is quite, but was overwhelmed by the crowds today. Some of the buildings, of course, were being renovated and were covered with scaffolding.


Tour Group


Fountain from Lake Pavilion


Roof Eave Painting


Chinese Lanterns


Wall Decoration


Gowns for Dressing Up